Coca Cola Cake Recipe - Sweet Goodness!!

A Southern Hospitality Dessert - Aunt Mabel's recipe :)

RECIPE

For the cake
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
1cup butter or margarine
3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
1 cup Coca-Cola
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the frosting
1/2 cup butter
3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
6 Tbsp. Coca-Cola
1 (16-oz.) box confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

To make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, sift together sugar and flour. Add marshmallows. In a saucepan, mix butter, cocoa and cola. Bring to a boil and pour over dry ingredients; blend well. Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk just before adding to batter along with eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well. Pour into a well-greased 9-by-13-inch pan and bake 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and frost immediately.

To make the frosting: Combine butter, cocoa and cola in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and pour over confectioners sugar, blending well. Add vanilla extract and pecans. Spread over hot cake. When cool, cut into squares and serve.

When i was a little girl i used to love visiting my aunt Mabel and uncle Joe during the holidays because she would always have this cake waiting for us when we got there.  I looked forward to tasting it once a year!  When i got older i wanted to learn how to bake it myself but instead learned that it wasn't as easy as it appeared.  To this very day, i have not been able to capture the full essence of aunt Mabel's talent but have come pretty close. 

Leave me a comment and let me know how yours came out.  Remember it should be light and moist with a delicious coca cola taste. 

Much success to you!

Family Night!

The end of the week is here and it's time to wind down and relax with the family.  It's so important to laugh, have fun, watch movies, play games and eat good food, especially when the week has been challenging.  The kids have been rambuncious, your body is sore from all the hustle and bustle so it's time to end the week with some good old fashioned quality time with the family.  Selecting a movie fit for the entire family is important.  If you have a wide range of ages you don't want to choose a movie inappropriate for the younger ones.  See my Kids Movie Reviews page for some suggestions on family viewing.

One of my favorite Family Night foods is the Nacho Bell Grande Supreme (shown below).  You can make it in under 30-minutes and it can be made with healthier ingredients.  Check out my Recipe Page to get this and other quick recipes.




NACHO BELL GRANDE



Make Eating Healthy Easy For Kids

Let's be honest, if we leave it up to our children to choose healthier snacks for themselves, most will prefer sugary and salty over healthy ones. With so many products on the market today with the appearance of being healthy we as parents have to decipher and make eating right easy for our children. Buying a fruit basket and filling it with assorted fruit   is good but sometimes you have to get creative with it. There have been many occasions where I spent precious time and money at the grocery store picking out a nice variety of fruit only to watch it wither and mold right before my eyes. If there are cookies in the cabinet most kids are going to walk right pass the fruit basket and go straight for the goodies.

Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day so why are so many people skipping it? Studies have shown that eating breakfast jump starts your day, gives you energy and even helps kids to focus better at school. It's time to entice their taste buds by making fruit look more attractive. Here are some suggestions on how to do it successfully and attract not only the kids but yourself as well.

Assorted Fruit Cups

fresh fruit cups

Its much more healthier to cut up fresh fruit in season and store tightly in plastic cups in the fridge than buying store bought fruit cocktails with extra additives and preservatives. The great thing about doing it this way is your kids can easily grab a cup for a light after school snack or top with yogurt and granola in the morning for a delicious breakfast parfait. You'll feel better because they are eating healthier and they'll feel great because it actually tastes great. For healthy dinner recipes, check out my recipe page @ My recipe page  for quick and easy meals throughout the week.

Where's The Instruction Manual For Raising Kids?

Raising kids is no joke! When I was younger, parenting never seemed like such a big deal to me. It seemed automatic. Parents had children and children were supposed to listen to parents and when they didn't, you received a warning not to do it again. If you did it again then you would suffer the consequences for it. Simple right? Wrong.

Okay Wake up call!!

Now that I am a mother raising four children I'm realizing that I should have approached parenting like I approached getting a college education. Always learning and constantly learning even more. There is so much information out there to educate parents on how to be exceptional. We just have to be willing to swallow our pride and admit that we don't know everything there is to know about producing highly functional adults in society. Plus we owe it to our children to raise them to be the very best they can be.

My first recommendation for raising young children starts off with a manual that goes back to the beginning of time, The Holy Bible. God is Love and love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). The bible shows us countless examples of how God is patient, long suffering towards his children and gave the ultimate sacrifice for us, his son Jesus Christ. This love that God has shown to his children is called “Agape”. Agape is an unconditional love, a selfless love that esteems others above oneself. A love that is not based on what someone has done for you and how you are wanting to return the favor. A love that stands alone and is not predicated upon the beloved. The type of love that loves even when the person is acting unlovable or doesn’t deserve it.

Other recommendations include books and articles on how to be an effective communicator utilizing “I messages” vs “you messages”. Learning how to respond in ways that do not trigger arguments or anxiety. I will touch more on these subjects a little later but for now be encouraged because help has arrived.

Keep Your Kids Busy

Children need activities, a lot of activities because they get bored easily.  Boredom can translate into problems and problems when full blown can translate into stress related medical expenses for the parents.  This is why you must do everything in your power to keep your kids busy.


Board games are fun. Reading and drawing will occupy kids for a little while but there will come a time when their minds require more stimulating activities like physical activities that strengthen the body and mental activities that strengthen the mind.  Both activities are necessary for the proper growth and development in young children and should be a top priority on a parent's "To Do List."


The Importance of playing sports - By now, every parent should know the benefits of their child playing a sport.  Not only is it beneficial because of the physical fitness aspect but sports typically help kids both academically and socially as well. Every child should be involved in some form of organized sports group before reaching the age of 12 and I'll explain why.


10 Reasons A Child Should Participate In An Organized Sport...


1). Playing sports will help to develop both teamwork and leadership skills in kids.


2). Regular exercise increases quality of life.


3). Kids involved in sports are less likely to become dope addicts.


4). Research shows that kids (especially girls) will develop a higher self esteem and body image.


5). Being physically active is a great way to relieve stress and reduce depression.


6). Kids learn to set and achieve their goals because of sports.


7). It helps to develop motor skills and strategic thinking in kids.


8). It teaches kids how to deal with disappointments and move on.


9). It's fun and they have a group of friends that share the same common goals and interests.


10). Kids who play sports are more likely to achieve academic success!


Lets not forget the mind stimulating activities...


1). Music Lessons - Playing a Musical Instrument


2). Arts and crafts - like sewing


3). Cooking class


4). Book Club


5).  Art Class - Drawing/Painting


6). Singing Lessons


7). Join a bowling League


There are many more to list but the point is to find out what is a good fit for your child.  Always remember there is no one size fits all for children.  There is no child exactly the same so it is important for us as parents to find the right fit for our individual children so that they can be the best that they can be and soar like a bird.

The Virtuous Woman

(PROVERBS 31:10-31)

    10 "Who can find a virtuous wife?
      For her worth is far above rubies.
       11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
      So he will have no lack of gain.
       12 She does him good and not evil
      All the days of her life.
       13 She seeks wool and flax,
      And willingly works with her hands.
       14 She is like the merchant ships,
      She brings her food from afar.
       15 She also rises while it is yet night,
      And provides food for her household,
      And a portion for her maidservants.
       16 She considers a field and buys it;
      From her profits she plants a vineyard.
       17 She girds herself with strength,
      And strengthens her arms.
       18 She perceives that her merchandise is good,
      And her lamp does not go out by night.
       19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
      And her hand holds the spindle.
       20 She extends her hand to the poor,
      Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.
       21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
      For all her household is clothed with scarlet.
       22 She makes tapestry for herself;
      Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
       23 Her husband is known in the gates,
      When he sits among the elders of the land.
       24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
      And supplies sashes for the merchants.
       25 Strength and honor are her clothing;
      She shall rejoice in time to come.
       26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
      And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
       27 She watches over the ways of her household,
      And does not eat the bread of idleness.
       28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
      Her husband also, and he praises her:
       29 “ Many daughters have done well,
      But you excel them all.”
       30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
      But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
       31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
      And let her own works praise her in the gates."